Get Rid of Hornets
Hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets can be a nuisance, or worse, if they build a nest in your home. If you are careful, you can get rid of them yourself, without the need for a professional exterminator.
Steps
- Put safety first. Wasps and hornets can sting numerous times and will do so aggressively, if provoked. Remember that this type of pest removal can be very risky even if you are not allergic, and proceed with caution. If you are unsure, call a professional for advice; you might wish to use his/her services if the risks to you outweighs your desire to do it yourself.
Locating the Nest
- Locate the nest. A hornet's nest is a paper or mud-like construction often shaped like a pine cone, upside down beehive, or just a mass lump. Hornets will look for a sheltered location to make their nest, and such nests can be found under leaves, in tree branches, on windows, in attics, under rafters, inside abandoned buildings or vehicles, etc. Any space that is protected from the weather and undisturbed can attract hornets to nest.
Bagging the Hornets
This method can be useful when there are two of you to complete the task and the nest is growing lower, such as off a tree branch or bush. Do this during the evening, when the hornets are less active.
- Wear the right gear. Cover yourselves from head to toe, to protect you from stings. Wear thick clothing, gloves, safety glasses or goggles.
- Purchase a large, strong plastic bag. It must be strong enough to resist easy rips.
- Place the plastic bag underneath the tree branch or bush. Estimate the trajectory of the nest when it falls, so that the bag will be under it.
- Using long-handled hedge trimmers, cut the branch down and let the nest drop into the bag. Alternatively, snip the part of the nest attached to the branch.
- Fill the bag with hornet-appropriate insecticide and tie it shut, tightly. Dispose of, or burn, straight away.
Spraying Insecticide Directly on the Nest
- Get the proper insecticide. Home repair and improvement warehouse stores will have a wide selection of wasp and hornet sprays for a variety of prices. (Buy the least expensive product; they all work similarly.) Two or more aerosol cans are recommended for anything larger than a small nest.
- Don't buy generic insecticide unless the label confirms that it works on hornets. You must be certain that the spray has the capacity to handle hornets.
- Spray at evening or dawn. The wasps or hornets will be mostly by the nest getting ready to sleep or wake up and won't be flying around. Night is also good since they will be sleeping, and therefore more docile, but you will have more trouble seeing and escaping if the nest does get aggressive.
- Don (put on) protective gear. Wear long sleeves, tucked into gloves, long pants tucked into your socks, and a wide brimmed hat with a nylon stocking over it, tucked into the neckline of your shirt.
- Wear a respirator, if in enclosed areas or desired. Insecticide kills insects, but it isn't exactly good for people, either. At the very least, provide good ventilation with a fan or retreat quickly after the initial assault.
- Mount your assault, saturating the nest with the aerosol cans. Most have a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} or more range, so you can start from far away, but after a few seconds you will want to get in close and really soak the nest. The chemicals kill nearly instantly, so there is not much risk. After applying the chemical, leave the area and allow fumes to clear.
- The returning wasps will also die, so leave the nest alone for a few days.
Making Traps
Traps can be useful for prevention. They're not so useful after the nest has been built but can prevent any build-up of hornets in your yard area, as they can catch scouts and queens on the lookout for a good place to stay.
- Make a vinegar trap. Make a traditional wasp trap by cutting the neck off a large soda bottle. Turn the neck funnel downward and into the base of the soda bottle. This becomes the tunnel for the wasp to enter through. Pierce two holes either side of the trap and thread through a string handle for hanging; knot in place either side.
- Inside the trap, place a cup of apple cider vinegar, a drop of dish soap and a little raw meat. The raw meat can be hung by string or fishing wire.
- Hang where hornets have been seen buzzing around. Wait. Hornets will drop in and either drown or won't be able to find their way back out again.
- To catch the queen, use this trap early in the spring to lure her in. Queens awaken in early spring and begin to look for nesting sites. If your trap catches her, that's one less colony in your backyard.
- Make a bucket trap. Fill a bucket with sugar water, vinegar and a little mild dish washing soap. Set outside and wait for the hornets to drop by and drown.
- Replace regularly.
- Make as many traps as you feel are needed to cover the space. One trap may be sufficient but if you have various inviting eaves around the place, place several, just in case you accidentally ward off one spot only to encourage nest-building on the other side of the house!
Removing Occasional Indoor Hornets
- Vacuum the hornet. Simply aim the nozzle in the direction of the hornet and suck the hornet up.
- Be aware that swatting or squashing hornets releases a chemical signal that encourages other hornets to turn up and sting in defense. While this might not be an issue indoors, be careful. And never squash a hornet outdoors!
Removing the Nest
- You may wish to remove the nest completely. Pull it down (while still wearing safety equipment) and dispose of it in a large plastic bag that can be tied off. If the nest was in an enclosed area such as a ventilation duct or air conditioner port, a long, serrated bread knife may be useful in removal.
- Seal up any entrance holes that you can gauge by checking around. This will help to discourage future hornet intrusion.
- Inspect your house regularly afterward. A small nest is a simple affair to remove––squirt the chemicals and yank it down, while a large one may require a repeat of this whole process.
Altering the Environment or Using a Decoy
Hornets will return; if they liked where they first made the nest, it will make sense to them to rebuild it there. To stop, this you need to alter the environment or use a decoy.
- Consider altering the environment. Depending on where the hornets made their nest, there are several possible approaches to making it seem different to them, and therefore hopefully deterring them from rebuilding the nest. These include:
- Cutting down branches, bushes and even a tree
- Repainting a wall, eave, birdhouse, other items around the home
- Putting up sparkly, sun-catching mobiles, mirrors or CDs in the vicinity of the demolished/removed nest.
- Changing some other element dramatically around the garden or home where the hornets were hanging around.
- Add a decoy. Purchase an artificial nest from a hardware store. The theory is that hornets that see an existing nest will keep away because they're territorial. Replace the artificial nest every year, to ensure that it looks intact and is neat.
- Keep protein sources away from hornets. Hornets in North America are mainly insect feeders, and thrive on protein sources. Hence, don't feed pets or leave pet food anywhere around the area where hornets have previously congregated.
- Keep garbage covered at all times. Not only will this deter hornets but it will keep away all manner of yard pests.
Tips
- If you do not want to get rid of them yourself, look in the telephone book, or online, for a service that removes bees or nasty pests like these. This is especially important if you suffer from an allergy, you're concerned about how the hornets may react, or you haven't any confidence in what you're doing.
- The best way to avoid having to remove a nest is to prevent its construction in the first place. Be sure to seal your home as much as possible to prevent the entry of wasps, hornets, or other insects. Often attics are left vulnerable when eave venting screens deteriorate or are disturbed. Home repair and improvement warehouse stores (i.e. Home Depot) sell inexpensive covers for eave vents that can simply be screwed on or nailed in from the outside.
Warnings
- Hornets can become very aggressive. Have an exit route (or several) planned ahead of time and always wear appropriate protection.
- Leave the removal to a professional if you have health, safety, or confidence concerns.
- Make sure that others in the immediate vicinity are aware of the nest and avoid doing anything to rile the hornets. This may be tricky, as neighbors, friends, and passers-by are less likely to heed warnings or advise if it does not directly concern them, however it is important to inform those around you of the nest in order to minimize the risk that the hornets will get agitated from some one else's actions.
- Some people advise spraying the nest with soapy water from a strong jet. While this may break open the nest and cause the hornets to be homeless, it will also rile them and you'll be an obvious live target. It's not recommended. It's much better to get a professional in.
- Don't do anything stupid such as poking sticks into the nest.
- Keep small children, pets, and the elderly away from the toxic fumes of the insecticide. It may be wise to clear your home if there is any risk of the fumes entering your living space.
Things You'll Need
- Long sleeved and legged clothing
- A wide brimmed hat
- A nylon stocking (used but clean is okay)
- Large, strong, plastic bag
- Long handled hedge trimmers
- 2 or more cans of wasp and hornet killing insecticide
- A long-bladed knife for nest removal
Related Articles
Sources and Citations
- http://www.getridofthings.com/pests/wasps/get-rid-of-hornets.htm – research source
